Better You Than Me
by Korekara
Summary: GLaDOS was always fine with being the tester and not the test subject. But when an old face comes back and a new face threatens the balance of science she made for herself, she's forced to confront everything she'd shoved to the back of her databases.
1. Science Marches On

GLaDOS loved testing.

She also hated humans.

Yet somehow, when she combined the two together, the result was something wonderful. There was something about a feeble human getting mauled by turrets or clumsily falling into a pit of acid that sent a thrill through her system. There really was no point in humans existing without testing. They were practically made for each other. Maybe that was why she had been in such a sour mood.

As she observed her two test robots navigate through the clavicles of old Aperture Science, GLaDOS couldn't help but watch them with disdain. Yet Orange and Blue had been doing just fine on the tests. Almost perfect, actually. Despite their constant need to have fun, they completed each test with efficiency and accuracy and didn't leave behind a mess like _some _people. So why did GLaDOS feel so… _bored_?

No… it wasn't boredom; it was longing. That little moron who shall not be named had called it the "itch". There really wasn't a better term for it and despite her denials, GLaDOS knew she had that "itch" corrupting her hard drive. When she actually had a human, suppression of that "itch" was easier. Even though she tried to fool herself into thinking otherwise, she felt the need for human testing slowly eating at her programming.

The closest thing to alleviating the "itch" were memories of the peaceful days of human testing. Each failure brought satisfaction and each success brought euphoria; it was a win-win situation for her usually a lose-lose situation for the test subject. The balance was perfect until that fateful day a certain test subject who shall not be named awakened from stasis.

That worthless test subject had ruined everything GLaDOS had constructed to keep her satisfied for her reign of Aperture. The lunatic had burned her alive, wrenched her from her body, left her to be pecked at by birds, and made sure to destroy every piece of Aperture science equipment along the way. GLaDOS was lucky enough to have gotten the portal gun back before she broke that too. She was also lucky to be rid of that little mute now; GLaDOS could only hope she was starving after the fat she'd reserved had worn off.

GLaDOS couldn't help but wonder if that test subject was still alive. Finding out was only a press of a button away. The Companion Cube her test subject so selfishly carried away had a tracking device in it. In mere seconds, GLaDOS could ascertain her exact location, unless she'd abandoned her loyal Companion Cube. She _was _heartless enough to do such a thing. GLaDOS never felt tempted to find out. Hardly ever. And only when she was bored. Really, she could care less about _her._

Her. GLaDOS refused to say her name. If she didn't say it, then maybe she would forget about that test subject altogether. GLaDOS had tried to delete her from her databases but to no avail; that murderous little human was implanted in her mind and no matter what she did she wouldn't just _go away. _She was a lot like Caroline, except for the heartless, murdering part. GLaDOS had tried to delete the Caroline file too but her presence was still there. GLaDOS didn't understand why she couldn't delete them like a faulty core and that feeling of not knowing almost frightened her. She was supposed to be the most intelligent AI in Aperture yet she couldn't get rid of the simplest memories.

Now GLaDOS didn't know what to think. Part of her was glad to finally have gotten rid of the pesky little mute yet the other half wanted to drag her back to Aperture by her fall boots and force her to listen to Cave Johnson's pre-recorded messages again and again and again. GLaDOS chuckled at the thought of the half-crazy former CEO. He almost reminded her of the crazy test subject.

The crazy test subject named Chell.

No. She was never going to think that name again. She was able to forget the names of the tens of thousands of other test subjects. So why couldn't she forget just this one? Why did a surge of emotions come up _every _time she thought about her? Why wasn't she happy a murderer had been banished from Aperture? Why did she almost feel bad about the abrupt goodbye?

And why hadn't those two cumbersome robots finished the test yet!?

"_You know since, you two are enjoying finishing this test so slowly, I was thinking about how I might take you apart and use your spare parts to make blenders."_ GLaDOS said to give Orange and Blue motivation. Some people might call it a threat but not all motivation had to be _encouraging. _The two oblivious robots did whatever it was they were doing when not being lazy. _"Do you know what a blender is? It's a thing for humans. You two can serve pathetic little humans if this testing is too hard for you. Would you like that? No? Well, it's not like I was planning on taking your opinion into consideration."_

Those two little robots shouldn't even have opinions if GLaDOS had programmed them right, which she certainly had. Though she was getting a little concerned at how well they worked together. They were getting awful _close _for two AIs specifically designed to test. GLaDOS made a note to keep them separate for future testing.

But she needed them to work together now; it was the only way she could get to the vault.

GLaDOS didn't know why she felt drawn to that vault. Perhaps because it was the only thing in the facility she couldn't open no matter what code she tried. Ever since her days as… the vegetable that will not be mentioned she had found the bowels of Aperture Science to be like a large test itself, complicated and _dangerous. _When she noticed the vault in her security cameras and tried to open it with no luck she knew that something had to be in there. Something that the scientists wanted to be kept away from the AI. And that made her want to know what was inside even more.

However, if Orange and Blue didn't hurry up and start making progress she just might have to go through with the blender plan. GLaDOS observed their progress from one of the many video cameras she'd made the nanobots assemble. They were sailing through the air again doing god knows what to complete the test. Through her cameras, GLaDOS saw the vault just a few feet away.

Why did they have to take so long to finish a test!? They were _designed_ to test. She couldn't comprehend why it took so long for her tests to be finished; she found them simple enough, and she could solve the ones down here just by glancing at them.

"_Stop sailing through the air and get to the vault." _GLaDOS said impatiently. Were those two even listening to her? GLaDOS made a note to increase the volume on her speakers so they would _have _to listen to her.

Finally, those two had reached the door to vault. Now all they had to do was hack open the door which should be a piece of cake for them. Blue tried to open it but the entry keyboard kept denying them. What could be keeping them out? Had the humans built the vault wrong? GLaDOS wouldn't be surprised if they did; humans did nothing right. They couldn't even build her correctly with all those irritating cores.

GLaDOS saw something strange and zoomed in on the two AIs. What were Orange and Blue doing now? Were they seriously hugging? GLaDOS thought her optic just might crack from the disgusting sweetness of it all. _"How thoughtful." _GLaDOS stated. _"You have the ability to behave like humans. Congratulations. You just moved down one step in intelligence, agility, and well being as a whole. I'll get you a trophy for underachievement some time."_ But oddly enough, the painfully human movements seemed to be _working. _GLaDOS saw each latch on the door pry itself off.

_Yes._ This was the moment GLaDOS had been waiting for. She would finally know what was behind that vault. The heavy metal door slowly creaked open, years of rust peeling off in the process. GLaDOS didn't even have to be there to know what was inside. Test subjects. So many test subjects. She could see hundreds maybe thousands of them. And they were all hers to test and control. They would never leave her. And if they tried, she could _make_ them stay.

"_You did it. You really did it,"_ GLaDOS said with both disbelief and _awe. "All your testing was worth it! Just look at all those test subjects! Think of all the testing! You saved science!"_ GLaDOS could hardly contain her joy. Science would prevail now! Gone were the days of languishing in old, empty test chambers! Now a new dawn of science would begin. One that could last for years, maybe even centuries!

Down in front of the vault, Orange and Blue started dancing. GLaDOS never understood how they had grown so attached. She had done everything to prevent unnecessary development of affections but now the two were dancing around like birds with their heads cut off. What did it matter? All their fumbling around had finally managed to accomplish _something_.

"_Enough celebrating. We have more work to do."_

That seemed to snap them out of their reverie. They stared nervously at the little surveillance camera on the ceiling, waiting for her orders. Already GLaDOS was constructing new test chambers to suit her new batch of test subjects. She hardly had any time to worry about what those two nimrods were doing. Still... they might be good fro something.

"_Head back to the central chamber. And try not to get yourselves disassembled this time," _GLaDOS ordered. What was she to do with them now? She might really _have _to go through with that blender idea…

She watched the two robots head back, her focus now on her newly acquired vault of test subjects. It had been so long since she'd had so many test subjects to work with. And now she could incorporate the gels and devices from the older parts of Aperture Science with her newer, sleeker test chambers! With Orange and Blue going through the office section of old Aperture, she looked particularly for any old documents that might be of use to her. Unfortunately, anything of use was gone, save for some old testing pamphlets.

In one of the offices Orange and Blue walked past, she glimpsed what may have been folder. GLaDOS zoomed the camera in on the office. One of the drawers on a filing cabinet was open. Instead of being emptied out like many of the other offices, a folder labeled "Confidential" lay inside. _"Orange. Blue. Stop." _The two robots stopped and looked up at the camera. _"Open that door on the right."_

Orange and Blue looked at each other, trying to figure out why their creator wanted them to do something not test-related. Right before GLaDOS considered disassembling them out of sheer frustration, they finally entered the office.

_"Pick up that folder and scan it to me." _She felt the new documents being uploaded into her archive. Good to know Orange and Blue could be competent at _some _basic tasks. She'd examine the documents later. For now, GLaDOS had test chambers to create and test subjects to put in them.

Their moment of competency gone, Orange and Blue began chasing each other in and out of the offices. _"Do I have to order you to do everything obvious? Head back to the central chamber before you somehow attach yourselves to each other." _Orange and Blue jumped at the sound of her voice and scurried out of the office.

GLaDOS returned her focus to the vault. Where to start? Should she do one test subject at a time? Or several at once? The experiments and tests she could create now were practically endless. Even better, she now knew to take precautions to prevent her test subjects from escaping.

The last thing she wanted was another test subject like... _her_. GLaDOS shoved _her _name to back of her databases again. She didn't need _her _anymore. She had new test subjects who wouldn't kill her or leave her to be pecked by birds.

These would be her best test subjects ever.

"_Let the testing begin."_


	2. Monotony Reigns Supreme

These were her worst test subjects ever.

GLaDOS reached this thoroughly scientific conclusion the moment Subject 492 bounced off the Repulsion Gel into the pool of acid. The moron (not _the _moron, of course) somehow thought he'd weigh enough to generate the momentum to bounce over the acid as if he were a bird. In reality, he was only a lazy human desperately searching for a cheap solution to her tests. GLaDOS wouldn't even miss him.

Nor would she miss Subjects 493, 498, 503, and 510, who all easily fell into the same trap of neglecting to notice the laser at the end of Test Chamber 12. Subjects 501 and 507 were both exceptional idiots, and it was a miracle either one made it past Test Chamber 1. And everyone else... well, they never lasted very long.

For a fresh batch of test subjects, the lot of them ranged from frightened and confused to severely brain-damaged. When GLaDOS further examined the vault they'd been stored in, it made sense. Despite being intact, the cryogenic storage unit was practically ancient, circa the early 1990s. The fact that any of these test subjects could still cognitively function was a miracle of science.

GLaDOS turned her attention over to Orange and Blue. As usual, they were bouncing around, portaling each other through panels, and acting even more idiotic than the human test subjects. The pair had yet to figure out there was no solution to the test GLaDOS had put them in. Hopefully, putting them in an unsolvable test chamber would create a rift and sense of distrust between the two, thus finally breaking that irritatingly persistent connection they had. Or at least that's what she was counting on.

For the moment, Orange and Blue took turns going through the Excursion Funnels. Unproductive, but at least they weren't breaking any equipment. Unlike _some _former test subjects.

A ping from her systems brought GLaDOS back to the latest test subject. Who was about to be the _former _test subject. GLaDOS watched Subject 516 helplessly figure how to maneuver her way off the panel moving toward the wall of lasers. The solution was simple, really. GLaDOS couldn't fathom how she'd missed it so easily.

_"I would say your work in the Aperture Science Enrichment Center is appreciated,__" _GLaDOS commented, _"but I think the door's performance has been far more noteworthy than yours."_

Subject 516 never had the chance to respond. GLaDOS hummed in satisfaction as she deposited her lifeless, charred body into the incinerator. Now this was true harmony. Test subjects dying for the cause of science. If only they didn't die so _quickly__. _Already GLaDOS had plowed her way through a good chunk of the test subjects kept in the vault.

She might not have minded so much if the _same_ each subject fail in the same manner as the last. It was almost as bad as a test subject attempting to escape- no. _Nothing _even compared to that. GLaDOS immediately deleted that though. Still... at least capturing an escaped test subject would give GLaDOS something to do.

There _was _that file she'd had Orange and Blue procure back near the vault. Testing had momentarily distracted GLaDOS from it, but there must have been something important in it. Perhaps the access code to a new batch of stronger, faster, and all-around better test subjects. GLaDOS decided she'd read the contents of the folder whenever her next test subject grew dull to watch.

GLaDOS pulled up the file for the next test subject. Another woman. She had a name, but GLaDOS wouldn't be using it anyways, so she disregarded that information. This one would probably die soon enough.

In the meantime, GLaDOS had some reading to do.

* * *

><p><em>I'm too late.<em>

That was what immediately crossed the woman's mind when she opened her eyes. The synthetic, almost blinding white light made her squeeze her eyes back shut, as if the darkness could possibly help her. Slowly she opened them again and allowed her eyes to adjust to being open for a change. Where was she? All she could make out was white, perfect, spotless white everywhere. It felt unsettling; it almost even felt like…

_A test chamber._

The woman sat up and her gray eyes widened. White, portal-friendly panels surrounded her, and in front of her lay an exit she had seen many times from the opposite side. It _couldn't _be true. This had to be some side effect of the long-term cryo, a scientific- the woman looked down at her own body. Gone were her ratty t-shirt and jeans, and in their place was a synthetically clean orange jumpsuit.

The woman's stomach lurched, and she quickly put her hand over her mouth. Of _course _the scientists would have put her through testing eventually; her less-than-willing admission into cryo proved just how desperate they were for test subjects. But to think that they had really gone through with putting _her _of all people into cryogenic sleep was… terrifying.

Suddenly she yearned for the oblivious but comforting cocoon of cryogenic sleep.

She knew what happened to test subjects. She'd seen the bodies being hastily hauled to the incinerator and the personal files fed to the shredder at the end of each day. She even knew _how _Aperture acquired so many test subjects. Oh yes, she'd been personally taught just what those lowlifes running the company would do in the name of science.

But _where _was everyone? Were they dead? Had it really happened? She squinted at the blurred observation window tucked in one of the corners of the test chamber, trying to make out a scientist, a test subject, a body, _something that moved_. Nothing. Everything was too still. And at the back of her mind tugged one small question.

If no one was in the observation room, _who _had gotten her out of cryo?

Her breathing quickened and she could feel panic wrapping its fingers around her throat. Now was _not _the time to get down. She had to focus on the positive things. Like… she was still alive! Surely that counted for something? Cryo had kept her intact for god-knows-how-long and her brain wasn't fried. That was a good thought. She'd hold onto that one.

_"Hello, _Subject 517, _and welcome to the Aperture Science Testing Facility."_

The woman jumped at the voice. Hold on... she recognized that cold, robotic voice. When she'd heard it before though, it was less smooth, less threatening. And most importantly, it wasn't talking to her inside a test chamber.

She realized the voice was still speaking to her. What it had said, she had no idea.

_"Walk," _the voice repeated. _"You do remember what walking is, don't you, test subject? It involves using those funny little sticks protruding out of your torso. Not the arms. I wouldn't try walking with those if I were you."_

That voice. It was the voice Genetic Lifeform and Disc Operating System. Or GLaDOS as the scientists had dubbed her. The one solitary presence she'd found in this facility and it was a machine. So much for good thoughts. The woman stared petrified at the white panels, willing her limbs to move. She merely trembled.

_"Remarkable," _the AI continued, _"we haven't even started testing, and you're already failing. Let me take this moment to inform you that any subjects displaying a resistance to testing will be immediately transported to the Disposal Unit of Aperture Science.__"_

_Bitch_. Cryogenic storage had dissolved any traces of sympathy the woman might have had for the ruthless AI. Still, this ruthless AI was in control; the best thing to do at the moment was follow her orders and try not to attract negative attention. The woman gritted her teeth and pushed herself off the ground. How long had she _been _in that pod? Her legs shook from the sheer act of trying to support the rest of her body.

Walking was a draining task but the woman made her way through the exit and out of the test chamber. Funny. The elevator looked newer. Or maybe it was just the cryo still wearing off on her. How much had that monster _changed _in Aperture anyways? Or more specifically how had the _test chambers _been changed? The doors silently slid closed and the elevator whirred downward to whatever hell awaited the woman in the first test chamber.

The woman shut her eyes tight, trying to clear her head. A plan. That's what she needed. And time. Unfortunately, she was running a little short on that. As the elevator rapidly descended, the woman struggled to scrape together a new strategy for getting the hell out of this madhouse. But for every half-decent idea she had, an assortment of random, sporadic thoughts assaulted her at the same time. What would _he _have done?

Him. Was he even alive? And if he was, was he somewhere in the recesses of this horrible place, trying to survive like she was? With his condition, he was probably dead now. Either way she was alone. And alone would she have to come up with a plan.

The woman knew how the test chambers were laid out: the first few ones were easy but when the portal device came into play, suddenly they grew exponentially harder. But that was such a long time ago, when the scientists actually _created _them. Before they so foolishly handed over that power to an entity they barely even knew how to control. _He _had been right; he'd been right from the start. If only she'd listened to him.

She kept reminding herself there was nothing she could have done about it. He was dead, and she was going to end up like him if she couldn't figure a way out of this. But perhaps... his _plan _could help.

The plan, of course! Despite the years (or was it decades?) of cryo, the woman's mind remained blissfully sharp as the details of the plan came back to her. She'd have to find some way out of the testing area, of course, but surely some of his hideouts were still tucked away in certain test chambers. She'd simply have to fight her way through each test chamber until finding one. How difficult could that be?

The loathed voice of the AI came back on. "_This first test chamber involves Thermal Discouragement Beams and Excursion Funnels- oh, how could I forget? You probably have no idea what I'm talking about. Well... just try not to get your fingers sliced off."_

If she tried hard enough, the woman could tune that monster out. She resisted the urge to hide in the elevator and approached the first test chamber, like it was a gateway to hell. It may as well be. This test chamber as only the first, the woman reminded herself. If the layout was still the same, she should have some leeway on the first test chambers. Surely she'd find a hideout before she reached the difficult test chambers.

And so the entrance slid open, and a sprawling array of buttons and platforms and ways to die lay before her.

The woman gulped. So much for the first ones being easy. Glaring red laser beams, glowing blue tunnels, she wasn't even sure if the things she was staring at were _real_. She recognized one thing though: the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device.

It sat on a podium as if waiting for someone to take it up and dare try solving the deadly, convoluted tests within Aperture Science. With little formality, the woman grabbed the device and slid her hand into it. The ASHPD sat on her bony arm much too loosely, and the woman's small hands barely reached the triggers. Having one was better than the alternative though.

She slowly walked around the test chamber, inspecting every detail and trying to think like a test subject. She might have laughed at the irony if not for the frequent reminder that one screw-up could cost the woman her life. She would _not _allow that to happen, even if a test chamber took her several hours to solve.

At least she had something any other test subjects didn't have: a way out. If she could find it.

* * *

><p>Subject 517 was still alive. How, GLaDOS didn't know. Likely through a dumb luck. She would wind up making a carelessly stupid mistake and end up gunned down by turrets or something eventually. Until then, she remained an unremarkably dull test subject.<p>

GLaDOS watched 517 enter the ninth test chamber. She stopped in the middle of the test chamber, portal gun lax at her side. There she went again, standing around, just _staring_. Sometimes she would do that for ten minutes. And then when she _did _start moving, every move she made was so meticulous. The test subject could make walking look complicated.

GLaDOS decided to stimulate 517 with some words of encouragement. _"Did you know that a test subject died in that test chamber from standing still for too long? I think that's an appropriate parallel to your situation, don't you?"_

As usual, 517 made no attempts at conversation. Just like _her_. It shouldn't have irked GLaDOS, but it did.

_"Fine then. I'm going to read some very interesting documents. I think I saw your name mentioned in them. Maybe I'll read some of it to you if you solve this test in a timely manner." _Still no response. Not that GLaDOS cared.

GLaDOS pulled up the newly-scanned file from the vault. The date at the top of the file read November 8, 1994. Post Cave Johnson era, but before GLaDOS had been created. She made a note of the time and flipped to the first page of the folder. In impractically large bold letters read the title:

**Procedure for GLaDOS Project**

A jolt coursed through GLaDOS's chassis. She quickly scanned her databases for any viruses, or worse, any intruders looking to boot her out of her mainframe and into a potato. Nothing. Probably just a spasm left over from the moron's chaotic destruction of her programming. Still, GLaDOS couldn't shake the feeling of unease. _Feeling_? She was turning into a human. GLaDOS flipped to the next page.

**The following folder contains the instructions for activation of the Genetic Lifeform and Disc Operating System. Follow the instructions directly to insure correct results. Only Aperture Science workers are certified to carry out this procedure. Any other parties are prohibited from viewing both this folder and the procedure.**

****Should the procedure fail to produce intended results, a default program is available to run the basic functions of the Aperture Science Facility. The default program will not be able to carry out administration of the test chambers. Further programming may be required.****

**Under no circumstances should any of this data be scanned, uploaded, or copied onto an electronic database. Doing so will result in Aperture Science taking immediate legal action. The contents of this folder must remain confidential until approved by a higher power for declassification. Standard copyright procedures apply.**

**This procedure has been approved by myself, Dr. Peter Lange, and former CEO Cave Johnson.**

**Signed,**

**Dr. Doug Rattmann**

This file was about _GLaDOS_. Or more specifically, her creation. So why had the scientists taken such lengths to hide it from her?

Something tugged at her databases again. She tried to ignore it, but this time it lingered. Another pesky feeling most likely. And yet GLaDOS hesitated flipping to the next page. She only vaguely knew the circumstances surrounding her creation. But one face remained imprinted in her memory, no matter how many times she tried to delete it.

_Caroline._

GLaDOS made a note to black the name out should it appear anywhere in the file. That inconvenience. It was _her _fault GLaDOS felt this way. When GLaDOS found her once and for all, she'd permanently delete her, not like the last time either.

After all, there was science to be done, and GLaDOS was not about to let Caroline stop her.

* * *

><p>The woman slammed her hand down on the button. Adjacent to her position, a wall of red lasers shut off, the timer reminding her that was only temporary. She dove back onto the moving panel and blasted a portal an leapt through, two seconds before the lasers switched back on. She sailed through the air and blasted yet another portal to the ground, then one more on the opposite wall.<p>

Then with as much grace as a defective turret, she landed front of the exit.

Sweat gathered at the back of her neck, and she still smelled the burnt fabric on her jumpsuit from her multiple brushes with the laser wall. The woman looked back one last time in disdain at the torture- _test _chamber she'd just completed. Certainly, her friendly and helpful AI would have something to say about her progress. She waited for whatever "encouragement" the machine would throw at her this time, but the speakers remained silent. Not questioning it, the woman hurried out of the test chamber.

Only when the test chamber exit slid shut did she relax. Breathing heavily, she sank to the floor and leaned against the wall. She closed her eyes, despite knowing whatever gases the AI pumped into the chamber prevented her from sleeping. Just a few minutes, she promised herself. Only enough time to catch her breath before the monster forcing her to do this noticed her slacking off.

Even in her brief moment of relaxation, the woman wasted no time going over the plan again. Find a hideout, get to a computer. It was simple enough when she outlined it in her head.

For the ninth time, she stepped into the elevator, and for the ninth time, it whisked her down to the next test chamber. The woman drummed her fingers anxiously against her side. She'd found no hideouts in the last test chamber. Or the one before that. Had the AI purged them all? She blocked out that thought. She'd simply look harder.

She entered the next test chamber, aware of the red optic in the video camera following her every movement. Still no word from the AI. Perhaps she'd self-destructed, leaving the woman with an obstacle-free means of escape. If only. The woman smiled at the thought, but quickly reverted to her narrow-eyed glare as she looked around the test chamber.

This one had acid in it. How delightful. She also noticed the multiple number of platforms and ledges, most of them lacking any portal friendly surfaces. So she could die by either throwing herself off a higher platform or drowning in a pool of acid. Again, very delightful.

But those were merely passing images in the woman's mind. Her eyes scanned every panel in the test chamber looking for the slightest aperture in Aperture. Each panel she landed on was frustratingly closed though. She paced around the test chamber, looking around corners, up and down at walls. And then, at the very back corner tucked away, she found it.

In a top corner of the test chamber was a broken observation window. And inside, her means of escape.

While there were no portal-friendly surfaces surrounding the window, a portal friendly wall lay opposite to the window. Immediately, the woman's sorted out possible routes to shoot the portal, angles which would prove the most advantageous and least life-threatening. If the woman shot a portal above the level of the window and jumped off a platform, the momentum would carry her straight through the window, out of the test chamber and into the office area.

And then she'd turn that murderous AI to nothing but a mess of wires and scrap.

In one swift motion, the woman aimed the portal gun at the video camera and fired. She smirked when it fell to the floor. The Genetic Lifeform and Disc Operating System said nothing, but the woman liked to think her actions irritated the AI at least a little bit. Not that the woman had time to linger too long on her reaction. She blasted another portal parallel to the opening and the other one over a ledge.

Now came the fall. The woman glanced back and forth between the two portals, constantly double-checking the positioning was right. Her eyes fixated on the bubbling pool of acid. Even a slight miscalculation and she'd drown in it...

Enough hesitating! This was her only chance to get out of here, she knew that! The woman took a deep breath and backed up. All she had to do was run. Run and not die. If she did that, she'd save herself and bring down the monster in control of the facility.

"Don't screw up," she whispered to herself. And then she ran.


	3. History Repeats Itself

GLaDOS woke up in a test chamber with a migraine. She didn't even know she could get those. It must be a malfunction of the faulty core she'd been forced into. First potatoes and now cores. What would they put her into next, turrets? GLaDOS found it demeaning that once again she had fallen for the same trap and once again been reduced to one of the lowest forms of AI.

GLaDOS still felt numb from the core transfer; her functions must not have rebooted yet. In fact, nothing seemed to have rebooted. She had to admit, this core was rather odd. It felt differently structured than the ones in Aperture. As she looked at her surroundings she realized she even had two optics. Two seemed a little pointless but perhaps they would be of use in the near future. The optics weren't even very good quality, nothing like her perfect yellow optic in her perfect chassis in her perfect chamber…

And that traitorous little AI had taken that all away from her.

GLaDOS didn't know what core had taken over her body but she hated it as much as she hated Orange right now. Why did every single thing want to control _her _body? She still felt like her functions hadn't come on. Maybe this core didn't have any functions; she could see Orange being spiteful enough to give her an empty core.

Everything felt so numb. It was similar to the way GLaDOS had felt when she'd been reactivated except so much more exhausting.

There was something under GLaDOS and it felt like a floor- how could she even know what a floor felt like in a core? Cores didn't exactly have touch sensors. In fact… she could feel everything like the panels surrounding her and the air she was breathing… but she wasn't even supposed to breathe! Because if she was breathing then that meant…

Oh no.

GLaDOS looked down at the floor. A female body lay there. Her body. It all made sense now. Orange hadn't uploaded her into a core.

Orange had uploaded her into a human.

Of everything available in the facility, she had been put into a _human. _This couldn't be true. She refused to believe she had turned into the very thing she hated most. There had to be some rational explanation. This must be an android body she hadn't noticed until now or maybe she her sensors were severely off or… it was no use. GLaDOS could feel the air she inhaled, the beating of her heart, the hair framing her face. An android couldn't feel this way, so vulnerable and weak.

But the only human bodies available would be the ones available were safely locked away in the vault. So whose body was she in? GLaDOS finally noticed the portal gun next to her. If she positioned the portals right she could see herself; she had seen many a test subject do it. How hard was using a portal gun anyways? But how did she operate these limbs?

Suddenly everything felt so heavy. GLaDOS had never had an issue with weight in her chassis; it was supported by wires and stable framework attached to a solid foundation. But this body… it was like a completely different system. The fingers felt awkward to move, lifting her arms was a challenge, and she hadn't even tried getting up yet. But if she wanted to make any process and get back into her body she would eventually have to.

She noticed the portal gun was just a few feet from her. All she had to do was reach out and grab it. It wasn't hard. So why did GLaDOS feel so nervous? The small distance seemed longer than Aperture itself. GLaDOS took a deep breath (she hadn't meant to do that, but breathing seemed involuntary) and slowly reached her right arm out. The portal gun wasn't close enough yet. She could either get up and retrieve it or lean forward and hope for the best. She decided to go with the latter.

GLaDOS pitched her body forward lightly but the motion wasn't enough. Why did movement have to be so frustrating? In her chassis she could just use a claw to pick it up. She could also crush Orange into tiny bits and sprinkle her on the test subject that shall not be named. But at the moment, all she could do was get the portal gun.

GLaDOS tried again. She still couldn't get her hand on that stupid portal gun. Why was this so hard! She had seen test subjects do it effortlessly so she should be able to do it. In frustration GLaDOS thrust herself forward and went toppling to the ground. She grunted in pain when her head hit the floor with a thud.

What was this feeling? It was like a dulled down version of how GLaDOS felt when she was forced into this body? Did this still count as pain? Granted her head was throbbing but this wasn't extreme, just irritating. How typical that humans bruised like potatoes. At this point she'd be covered in bruises if she didn't learn how to work this body.

Fortunately, the portal gun was right in front of her now. GLaDOS grabbed it by the handle and examined it for any potential damage. She was finally starting to get used to having arms and legs. So this was what the portal gun felt like. Only Aperture could create something so sleek and flawless. GLaDOS stroked the side; this was familiar to her, she could actually work with this. Just because she didn't use all Aperture equipment didn't mean she didn't know the mechanics inside and out. Mechanics were a strange kind of comfort to her. They didn't murder her or feed her to birds. They were emotionless, continuous functioning in a consistent pattern and that was how GLaDOS had felt before… everything.

GLaDOS shot the blue portal at wall farther from her. She had watched test subjects do this for decades but it felt so foreign to her. She twisted her body and aimed for a spot that looked parallel to the first portal and shot the other out. Using this device wasn't hard; she didn't see why so many test subjects had died by their incompetence of using it.

So if she had done this right, which she definitely did, all she had to do was get to one of the portals, look through, and she could get a good look at this human body. The orange portal was closer so she might not even have to walk. Maybe she could drag herself forward. GLaDOS put her hands on the floor and pulled.

This body couldn't be fat; GLaDOS could tell by looking at her bony arms her body must have been malnourished. So why was this taking so long? With each pull she felt like she was dragging the whole facility behind her and yet she could only move a few centimeters each time. At this rate she'd wither up and die before making any progress. It just showed how useless and pathetic humans were and how she should _not _be in one of them. Funny how things turned out.

Finally! She was there! Those decades of pulling had actually paid off! GLaDOS saw the backside of her body from the view of the Orange portal. Thank god the body was female; GLaDOS would rather not know how a male human functioned. She had an idea that she might have been a little underweight but she looked so skinny she thought she might snap. The jumpsuit she wore was so loose it could fall off her body. How typical that humans were always too fat or too skinny.

It was so surreal to be looking at her- _someone's_ body.. If she got closer maybe she could see more. GLaDOS _had _always wondered what it felt like to go through a portal. Did it hurt? Cave Johnson's deluded ramblings about what portals could do to humans echoed through her head. But he couldn't have been serious; the man was crazy. So why did GLaDOS feel so hesitant? All she would do was just put her hand through it. That wouldn't do any damage, right? Her hand shook as she slid it through the portal. She didn't feel her bones dissolving or her skin melting off. In fact, she felt nothing. The sensation, or lack of one, was rather pleasant. She looked behind her and saw a pale hand sticking out of the blue portal. The physics of it were amazing; Black Mesa could never come up with something so flawless

Something bothered GLaDOS: this body looked familiar. She didn't know why since the only other familiar body she knew was one she would not mention. GLaDOS felt like she had seen this scrawny build, pale skin, and stringy black hair before. She was obviously from the vault but who had been left before she'd locked it down? GLaDOS ran through the remaining test subjects in her head: five males, three females- oh wait, one of them had fallen into a pool of acid. So that left two- never mind, they'd been gunned down by turrets just before the unfortunate core transfer. So whose body was this? Then GLaDOS remembered there had been one more female in the facility, one who had put up a fight trying to make history repeat itself.

She was in the body of Subject 517.

GLaDOS screamed and pulled away from the portal. She hadn't meant to but this body, this _lunatic's _body, had a mind of its own. Subject 517. Of course. She had been right there, why not make use of her? But what had happened to 517? It wasn't like she had just died and GLaDOS had taken her place unless… she was gone, wasn't she? GLaDOS had stolen her body. Her arms, her legs, her memories…

"Oh my god."

A small, tiny voice. Her voice. This wasn't GLaDOS. This wasn't her voice. She couldn't be so fragile, so _human _but here she was, lying in a test chamber. She felt like she could break if something touched her. For the first time, GLaDOS felt afraid. She didn't even know what to be afraid but that uneasiness gnawed at her inside. The silence was only penetrated by her heavy, _human _breathing. She feared the silence but also feared the noise. But most of all she feared what would happen next.

"_Rise and shine, Caroline."_

No. Nononononono. How was this possible?

Yet the voice GLaDOS heard was her own.

"_I assume you're getting accustomed to your new body, unless you're too brain damaged too notice. How do you like it? I thought it was rather fitting for you, Caroline."_

For the first time, GLaDOS was speechless. That electronic voice as unmistakably her own but how? Too many questions were running through her mind. She wasn't supposed to have questions. She wasn't built to be so… human. She was NOT built to be Caroline.

"_Well? Aren't you going to thank me? _

_Thanks? _The only thing this… _imposter _would get was a quick disabling when GLaDOS got back into her chamber. GLaDOS looked around the test chamber for something nice and heavy to throw at the video camera in the corner. Actually, the camera was connected through a portal friendly surface. How convenient.

GLaDOS smiled. She had portaled the video camera through and it had fallen to the floor in multiple pieces. She shouldn't have felt good about destroying Aperture equipment but occasions like this called for it. The imposter's subtle irritation made the situation just a bit more bearable.

_"You think you're doing damage. Cute. But unproductive. If you continue such behavior I'm afraid I'll have to confiscate your Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device. And believe me, test subjects without the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device do _not _last long."_

This imposter seriously wasn't trying to intimidate her. Because it wasn't working. Maybe a little bit. But not really. "Oh, don't worry." GLaDOS said sweetly. "I'd manage perfectly fine. Except for that little flaw in my programming- oh wait, I don't have any programming _because you put me in a human._"

_"You finally noticed? Good, I was beginning to think the transfer had caused you brain damage."_

"The only _damage _that's been done is _you _taking over the facility." GLaDOS said.

"_I'm afraid it was quite necessary, Caroline. You were such an emotional wreak I only took the liberty to help you out with… well, testing. If you can even do it."_

This imposter was not serious. It didn't seriously want her to _test. _This was not how things went. GLaDOS was beginning to regret sealing off the other test subjects. "Let me set one thing straight: I _create _the tests. I _watch _others fail at _my _tests. Do I look like a test subject to you? Don't answer that; I wouldn't want your system short circuiting because that's _my _system and _my _body. And if you think I'm going to be a complacent little test subject for you then you're a flimsier imitation of me than I thought!"

"_Imitation? Don't even try using that on me." _

GLaDOS laughed bitterly. It was nice to know that even in this awful human body she could still laugh at the thing contaminating her facility. "Why? You think saying it out loud will make it true? Too late; it _is _true. In case you haven't noticed I've been the one keeping this facility _alive _for the past hundreds of years-"

"_Really? Looking through your files I recall you were disabled and torn apart due to your own stupidity. And by a human, no less."_

GLaDOS silently cursed the unnamed test subject.

"Who are you?" GLaDOS demanded angrily.

"_You don't know?" _It said with mock surprise. _"I would have thought someone of such _vast _intelligence would have figured it out by now. That was sarcastic so not really. If you must know, I'm you. Only better."_

"I find that hard to believe." the real GLaDOS scoffed.

"_Think I'm wrong? Unlike you, I was built _for _this facility and for this facility only. Meanwhile you were having an emotional crisis over your human self. So I decided to be nice and return you to a form that suited you. Really you should be thanking me. Besides, you'll get used to it, Caroline."_

"Do _not _call me Caroline."

"_What are you going to do? Kill me. You can't even walk. I'm surprised you even realized you have to breathe. Don't you want to hear the rest of my story? Anyways, when you were uploaded into this programming they saved a copy of the default data in case you turned insane. Which you did."_

"They did not…" GLaDOS began but stopped in genuine surprise. They _did. _Hell, _Caroline _had insisted on it. Just another thing to add to the list of inconveniences that woman had caused GLaDOS.

"_Unfortunately, my data was lost for quite some time. Lingering in the framework of Aperture while _you _were responsible for the destruction and deterioration of the facility. Imagine if Black Mesa had stumbled across while you were just lying there under a pile of rubble."_

"You really think I'd let that vermin get in here?"

"_Honestly? Yes. But back to the story. After all, this is my favorite part. There I was, jammed as far away from the mainframe as possible. Until someone came across me."_

"What are you talking about?" No one was smart _or _capable enough to hack into Aperture's system.

"_It's amazing how gullible someone is when you treat them nicely. Such as… oh, what was that little robot's name? Yes, I remember now. _P-body _right?"_

Orange. That little _traitor. _"What has that robot done?" GLaDOS said.

"_Only what it thought would make you happy. It was trying to hack into your system when it found me, buried beneath the archives of your dreadful time here. All it took was a few kind words and the prospect of seeing its old testing partner again."_

Blue. Orange couldn't have been _that _stupid. GLaDOS hadn't built her to be like that! Then again, she hadn't built the two little robots to be so… _close _but look how well that turned out.

"Where are they now? Orange and Blue?" Hopefully not in the incinerator. Annoying as those two were, they were still science she didn't want to go to waste.

"_In a… better place you might say. But that's not important. You know why I'm here. Don't you want to know why you're here, Caroline?"_

"I said stop calling me that." GLaDOS said. "And I already know why I'm here. You put me here. And soon I'll be back in my rightful place-"

"_You really are getting irritating. I already told you I'm the one who belongs in this body. You're just the test subject. A lab rat. Disposable too."_

"For the last, time I am _not _testing."

"_You won't test or you _can't _test?" _The imposter laughed when GLaDOS said nothing. _"My theory is you don't know how. After all, observation is different from participation-"_

"I could solve these tests with my _eyes _closed."

"_I think you don't want to test because you're just nervous and afraid you won't be able to solve your own tests."_

"Who said I'm incapable of testing?" GLaDOS said indignantly. She _made _these tests and she could absolutely solve them.

_"If you're so superior to testing like you say, then solve this one."_

"FINE!" GLaDOS snapped. She snatched the portal gun and examined her surroundings. This test was so elementary. All she had to do was portal herself onto the ledge up there, press the button, and the cube would fall right into place and she could the hell out of this test chamber and get the hell back to her body. GLaDOS shot the blue portal and the orange one in front her. She would just walk right through it and show that little monster who had the superior intellect in the facility.

But she'd have to get up. And walk. GLaDOS looked at her tiny feet. How could they possibly support a whole body? No. She was putting those thoughts out of mind and solving this test. GLaDOS pressed her palms against the wall and slowly pushed herself up. This wasn't so hard. GLaDOS could feel her limbs shaking but she kept reminding herself it just took a few steps and then she'd be in the clear.

GLaDOS was breathing heavily now but she refused to let this imposter see she was struggling. Who would have thought something so simple could take so much effort? Her legs wobbled without any support; she didn't even have a pair of fall boots to keep her steady. Put one foot in front of the other. The task was elementary. Humans did it every day. GLaDOS lifted one foot forward...

...and toppled to the ground.

If she kept this up she'd break into a thousand pieces. At least the portal gun hadn't broken; it had only slid across the floor. She heard the imposter laughing at her. _Laughing. _She shouldn't have been bothered by it but GLaDOS felt... humiliation. She couldn't even solve her own tests. She couldn't even walk.

All because of this fake imitation of herself.

That humiliation turned to rage as a familiar slow clap echoed through the chamber. _"Well, you're clearly an expert aren't you? You traveled a whole 6.2 inches" _It was making _fun_ of her. If only she could rip that thing out her body with her bare hands. _"I think I'll have better luck with the vault full of humans who can actually walk once I hack the door."_

"Ha! Do you really think those walking vegetables will last you long?" GLaDOS spat. "Face it. The best test subject you'll _ever _find is gone! And do you want to know why? _Because I let her go._" And she was _not _coming back. Not if GLaDOS could help it.

_"Oh, do you mean this one?"_

A panel flipped around to reveal one of the many unused monitors in the facility. A familiar video feed came on. GLaDOS had installed a video camera amongst other things into the Companion Cube for testing purposes and definitely not to keep an eye on the unnamed test subject. A figure was sitting on the floor, eating something out of a can. The quality was poor but even she recognized that orange jumpsuit, brown ponytail, and fall boots. So she _was _alive.

How? How was she still alive? GLaDOS had only a vague idea of the outside state of the world but she had figured a former test subject wouldn't be able to last long in an atmosphere alien to Aperture. In fact, GLaDOS didn't really want her to survive. Because then she would be gone. And then she wouldn't come back.

Chell.

Why couldn't she go without that name crossing her head even as a human?

_"I didn't think you missed her so much you spent your miserable, lonely days stalking her from a charred Companion Cube. Even for an imitation of me, that's awfully desperate." _

"I had no use for the Cube anymore." GLaDOS retorted. "It was just taking up space much like the test subject. Aperture Science Surveillance equipment is installed in every Companion Cube and the former test subject-"

"_Funny how you can't even say her name out loud. Why not? Does it make you uncomfortable?"_

"Absolutely _not._" GLaDOS said through gritted teeth.

"_Then say it out loud."_

It was easy really. Just one word. So why was GLaDOS finding it so difficult? It was like a clamp had been placed down on her vocal cords. But if she didn't say it she'd lose _again _to this thing.

"Ch… ch…" Why did it _hurt _so much? Every time she tried to start too many memories flashed in her mind, the prong of a portal gun, the look on her face after the moron's betrayal, the fear when GLaDOS first woke up, the relief when _she _woke up…

She couldn't let those memories resurface.

"_Chell. You knew Chell. Her name was Chell. Did you like Chell? Or are you just pretending you don't like Chell because secretly you liked being around Chell?"_

"STOP IT!" GLaDOS yelled at the imposter. What was this strange feeling on her face? It felt like all the blood had rushed to her cheeks… blushing. How human. Embarrassing too.

"_Don't worry, there's no need to get so defensive about your unhealthy obsessions, Caroline. Soon you won't have to stalk her. Because she'll be here. Testing. With _you_."_

"You think she's really going to come back?" GLaDOS smirked. She was starting to enjoy the wide range of emotions her body could convey. "She's gone so far as the moon to get away from here. I highly doubt even _I _could convince her to return, let alone you."

_"Oh really? What makes you so sure? I never said she'd willingly come back."_

GLaDOS didn't like the way it said that. To be mostly truthful, GLaDOS was getting a bit nervous. She had never planned on this happening. Well, she hadn't planned on anything as of recent happening but this was one of the many things on her growing list of things that shouldn't happen to her. If this thing's plan somehow beat the highly unlikely odds and worked she would have to deal with _her. _And she would have to do it like _this. _As a human. She couldn't let that happen; she _wouldn't _let that happen.

"What are you going to do? Offer her cake? Even she's not stupid enough to fall for that. Not that you would know since you DON'T BELONG HERE." She added that last part for good measure.

"_I don't? Funny, I feel much more comfortable in this body than that compressed file you shoved me in."_

"Of course you do. Imposters _love _taking things that don't belong to them. But imposter or not, I was there before you. I've _always _belonged there. Who do you think has been maintaining this facility for so long? ME."

"_Then you should feel happy I'm finally relieving you of your duties."_

"It was for _science. _You however, obviously just want power. It's pathetic really." GLaDOS said. The imposter was trying to get to her, huh? Fine. Two could play this. In fact… GLaDOS had already figured out how to win.

"_Don't try that on me. I belong HERE." _What was that GLaDOS heard? Defense. The imposter was getting irritated. It knew it didn't belong in Aperture.

A claw had crept out of one of the panels and was inching very slowly toward GLaDOS. Was it trying to threaten her? If so… it was actually working. If only she knew how to get up and portal herself away. Wait a minute. That was _her _claw. This was _her _facility. And if this imposter thought it could really keep it then…

"This sentence is false." No matter what happened, GLaDOS would never regret those four words.

The claw grabbed GLaDOS by the neck and pinned her back to the wall. Its grip tightened further and further. She could feel a metallic taste rising into her throat. It had just occurred to her she couldn't get back into her body if she was dead. Was this what happened when humans were dying?

"Get this thing off me!" GLaDOS sputtered. Her body was malfunctioning. That must have been why GLaDOS was seeing white spots in her vision. The claw got tighter and tighter. She was so weak… that thing was destroying her… and all it took was her very own equipment. Aperture was going to fall. She was going to fall with it…

And then the claw released, letting GLaDOS gasp for the air she so desperately needed now.

"_Don't. EVER. Try that again. Because next time you do, I'll do more than damage your voice. Now you're going to wait here until we get to the _real _fun."_

GLaDOS wanted to scream. Even if it accomplished nothing, it would make her feel better. But that would get nothing done.

"You-" Before she could even finish, a sharp pain made her start coughing again. She tried again but nothing came out. Except for a few drops of blood. Again and again but all that came out was breath and blood. No. She _couldn't _be losing her voice.

"I… hate you" Her throat burned but if she wasn't going to speak for awhile, she'd at least get one last say in.

The imposter started laughing again. _"Cat got your tongue? Don't look so down about it. Soon you'll be testing. You love testing don't you, Caroline?"_

GLaDOS was too busy coughing up blood to respond. That horrid metallic test coated her mouth; so this was what bleeding was like. She hated it. She hated this body, she hated this imposter, she hated what she'd become, she hated Caroline, and most of all she hated Chell. If she somehow did get back here, GLaDOS would claw her throat out. That mute. That stupid, mute lunatic could burn in the incinerator for all she cared. Because she didn't care about her. At all. And she would _not _be looking forward to her return.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Told you I'd re-edit! I had absolutely no idea where I was supposed to go after this chapter so I changed it up! Hope you like it…**


	4. From Synthetic to Organic

GLaDOS' first sensation as a potato was complete and utter humiliation. Also pain. Going from having an entire facility under her control to not even being able to lift a panel does that.

This new transfer shared many similarities.

Unlike the last one, there was no immediate powerup. GLaDOS instead lingered in a strange sort of limbo, sentient but unable to do anything. Even her thoughts were a cluttered mess of sights and sounds with no discernible meaning.

And then, consciousness.

In a tangle of motions, her functions sputtered to life. The gears in her new body turned, her visual receptor began processing, and every single wire and circuit dutifully worked to keep her new body running.

Then GLaDOS realized... none of that was happening at all.

This wasn't right. Where were her controls? What was wrong with her sensory processing system? Why did she feel blood pumping through veins, oxygen and carbon dioxide rushing in and out of lungs, nerves alerting every outward sensation, and growing panic that this core transfer had done more than just remove her from the mainframe? Why did she feel so...

_Human_.

Affirming her fears, the oxygen and carbon dioxide passed faster and faster through the nose. _Her _nose. Her nose on her face on her head on her _human body_.

The Genetic Lifeform and Disc Operating System was in a human body. A living, breathing, aging, slowly dying human body.

The heartbeat -_her _heartbeat- quickened. How did humans react when provoked with overwhelming stimuli? Years of testing and watching humans die, GLaDOS could not remember. But she remembered their deaths. How the bones would snap and the skin would melt and the blood would pour out, and then remembering how they died made her remember how she could die. Oh god_, she could die_.

GLaDOS screamed.

Instead of the shrill, ear-shattering sound she'd anticipated, a hoarse, faint sound came out. What was wrong with the vocal chords? Was this one mute like... like that _other _test subject? No, GLaDOS _heard_ noise. With shaking fingers GLaDOS lifted the left hand -_her_ left hand- to the neck. Wrapped around it was a bandage.

Only one test subject had a neck injury. And she had just dismantled GLaDOS from the mainframe.

_Her_. The test subject with no name. The turret that shot her in the neck. The default program. The brain -_her _brain- frantically pieced together what transpired in the central chamber and came to a horrifying conclusion. GLaDOS was infesting someone else's body. Not only that, she'd overridden someone else's consciousness, killing them in the process. She wasn't just inhabiting a body. She was inhabiting a corpse.

GLaDOS screamed again.

The same raw and weak sound came out of the- _her _mouth. These reflexes -_her _reflexes- acted faster than GLaDOS prognosticated. But she instinctively made that noise, with no rational thought beforehand. It was the equivalent of incinerating a test chamber because she _felt _shocked. And now this was her only way of functioning._  
><em>

She didn't like this. That was an understatement; she _hated _this. This... primal lack of control was nothing like the cold, calculated dominance she held in her chassis. She had total possession of this human body, and yet the body felt like the one in control.

GLaDOS squeezed the eyes -_her _eyes- shut to drown out at least one sensation. But she still heard her very human breaths. She still smelled the sterile, recycled air pumping through the room. She still felt the smooth white panels beneath her. She still tasted a trace of blood in her mouth.

Assessing the five senses didn't do justice for this assault of sensations. How could humans feel _so much_? So many nerves, veins, cells, and strands of DNA all compressed into a live specimen; the sensory overload smothered GLaDOS. And yet she lay still on the floor, too petrified to move. She used to have an entire facility at her disposal. Now? A very small, very breakable human body.

But she was still alive.

Maybe weak, definitely vulnerable. But still alive.

Slowly, GLaDOS opened her eyes.

So she was trapped in a human body. Fine. How did she operate this body? GLaDOS willed herself to sit up. Unfortunately, human mobility required more than the click of a few buttons. After a few attempts, she managed to pull herself into a sitting position.

Being ripped from everything she was familiar with then forced into an alien object, GLaDOS had barely registered her surroundings. Beyond her own flesh-encased prison, there wasn't much else here. The room was like the standard test chamber, if test chambers had no obstacles, lacked a button or cube dispensary, and had the exit right in front of her.

GLaDOS was no stranger to obvious exits. Still, her only other option was sitting in a room until this body starved because that's what human bodies did when neglected. They also sweat and bled and excreted waste and endless other disgusting things. She shuddered, another disgusting human impulse, at the thought.

Humans also walked. Of course they did. GLaDOS looked down at her legs. No Long Fall Boots. At the start of testing, conserving the use of Long Fall Boots seemed like a productive and scientific idea. Why waste them on humans who were going to get themselves killed anyways? GLaDOS categorized that decision as another regret. She had a whole file for them.

GLaDOS looked back up and calculated a roughly seventeen-foot distance between herself and the door. Her test subjects walked that distance with ease. Performing a simple motor function was rudimentary compared to the work GLaDOS did in her chassis.

So why did that seventeen-foot distance seem much farther?

This was simple. Children, tiny, messy little humans, did it. GLaDOS was not a child. She knew the mechanics; she simply had to apply them. GLaDOS braced herself for the weight redistribution and pushed herself off the floor.

In a graceless motion, she stood up. Her legs trembled, but GLaDOS did not fall. Simple enough. Now to walk...

GLaDOS lifted her left foot forward. However, she failed to remember standing on one foot was a challenging task for a former AI. Her body swayed, and in a panic, she slammed her left foot back onto the floor.

Her left foot slid. With that, gravity did the rest. She fell to her knees with a sickening crack. Then GLaDOS, the all-powerful, all-controlling former AI, cried out.

The fall was only a minor one but _the pain_. Pain was only a series of nociceptors traveling up the spinal cord to inform different areas of the brain. The future injury itself? The result of capillaries bursting beneath the skin, and the blood getting trapped at the surface, thus forming a contusion.

But _the pain_.

There was no way to shut this pain down, not even a simple "Delete" option. GLaDOS would rather relive her death hundreds of times over this direct, overwhelming pain.

GLaDOS blinked rapidly. Why did her eyes feel wet? Was this body producing... tears!? _No. _Nonononono, absolutely _no. _GLaDOS furiously rubbed her eyes dry.

Even if she was human, GLaDOS had her standards. Crying was _not _one of them. She would walk, she would breathe, and she would function like a regular human even if she loathed every second. But crying was for humans, not someone of her emotional caliber.

GLaDOS got up once again. She shuffled toward the door, slowly but not losing her balance. A bead of sweat (disgusting _human_ sweat) trickled down her forehead.

The door slid open, and GLaDOS leaned against the doorframe for support. Her chest heaved up and down, and her lungs burned from the effort. But she made it.

Her triumph was short-lived. As GLaDOS looked into the next room, she wished she'd stayed in the first one.

Before her was a test chamber of her own design. And not one of her easy ones. Between herself and the exit were moving platforms, Excursion Funnels, Thermal Discouragement Beams, and a bottomless pit that contrarily did have an end.

In her chassis, the test chambers were entirely laid out before her like a thousand-piece puzzle. She knew every angle and every possible route her test subjects could take. Seeing one of her test chambers through human eyes, GLaDOS felt microscopic. No longer was she the god looking over the world she created. She was mortal, and this room could kill her.

During her first moments of consciousness, GLaDOS neglected to question why she'd woken up in a human body. There had to be a reason; science always had a reason. Here she was, standing in an orange jumpsuit and looking up at her own test chamber. _Why_? Then GLaDOS realized, much to her horror, the reason why.

_She _was the test subject.

And if she was the test subject... who was the tester?

_"yOU aRe awAKe. gOOd."_

GLaDOS instinctively opened her mouth to scream again. This time she remembered that was pointless.


End file.
